Skip to Main Content

Sociology

Search Strategy

Choosing keywords to search can be difficult. Selecting the wrong keyword may result in being overwhelmed or disappointed with the amount of information that you retrieve. That's why it's important to know how to use tools such as Boolean Operators.  Boolean operators are used to connect search terms in ways that narrow or broaden a search. There are three commonly used Boolean operators: AND, OR, and NOT.

AND narrows the search to include all the words.

  • Example: body image and adolescents

OR broaden the search to include any of the words.

  • Example: fast food or junk food

The NOT operator excludes a term or group of terms from your search.

  • Example: tattoo not body piercing